Health and Safety

Labeling

Soda ash is not flammable, explosive, or toxic. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies soda ash as a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) substance. This means that its use in foods predates the scientific age and there is no known reason suggesting a limitation on its use in foods.

Personnel Protection

Soda ash dust is moderately irritating to the mucous membranes of the eyes, throat and nose. Personnel working constantly around soda ash should wear simple goggles and respiratory masks. In addition, soda ash is a mildly alkaline material that will dissolve in human perspiration. Individuals with sensitive skin may incur mild skin irritation. To prevent this, they should where protective clothing. Long sleeved shirts, pants and gloves are usually sufficient. This is particularly noticeable on hot humid summer days.

Personnel should not walk on soda ash piles. Soda ash can cake to give the appearance of a hard crust. This can yield to a fluid that can engulf a man. Personnel who must walk on a deep pile of soda ash must wear safety belts properly roped to rescue facilities and be physically observed by someone not on the soda ash pile.

Handling Methods

Soda ash is friable and tends to break into small dusty particles when under pressure. Dust is undesirable commercially. To limit dust formation, soda ash should ideally be moved by methods that hold it as a unit in the equipment transporting it. Ideal handling equipment includes:

Less desirable are pneumatic systems or screw conveyors.

Materials of Handling

Soda ash is not corrosive to steels, but it will readily attack iron and rust. Painted surfaces other than epoxy resins are undesirable. Refractory surfaces such as concrete and brick should be smooth and sound and designed so handling equipment is unlikely to break off small pieces contaminating the soda ash.

Storage Characteristics

Soda ash is mildly hygroscopic. It will absorb atmospheric moisture to form an undesirable crust up to 5 cm thick. To prevent this soda ash should be stored in weather tight warehouses. Such warehouses should not be ventilated nor subject to gross changes in the atmosphere.

Silos with a bottom cone of greater than 40 degrees are acceptable, as are flat warehouses.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

To access the latest ANSAC MSDS, click here.